urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoiceLiveJournal For ChoiceLiveJournal For ChoiceLiveJournal For Choice2011-06-06T03:33:07Zurn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:879324chicklet22Mothers for "life"2011-06-06T03:33:07Z2011-06-06T03:33:07ZThe mothers for &quot;life&quot; are a group of mothers who meet at the local plunket. They picket abortion seekers at the hospital, using their babies instead of placards. They dress these kids in hand-printed tops with slogans like &quot;I am a child, not a choice!&quot;. I posted awhile ago to my journal saying that whilst I found their actions disgusting, I supported their right to freedom of expression. But now they are pissing me off so much that I think they should be banned.<br /><br />The other day, they tried to persuade my friend (who has a seven month old baby) to join them. &quot;You're baby was a fetus seven months ago,&quot; the president told her. &quot;And would you kill her? The only difference between our babies and theirs is that ours are older. Join us and save the babies.<br />Then this same woman emailed me saying &quot;Thank you for supporting our cause. Here is some more information about us, and please sign our members bill to ban under 16-year-olds from getting an abortion without their parent's consenturn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:878488burgundyfirst it was the pharmacists2010-07-16T23:43:10Z2010-07-16T23:43:10Z<a href="http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/courts/entries/2010/07/16/bus_driver_claims_abortion_vie.html" rel="nofollow">Bus driver claims abortion views led to his firing</a>.<br /><br />Woman wants to take bus to Planned Parenthood. Bus driver refuses, on the grounds that OMG BORTIUNZ! Bus driver is fired. Bus driver then claims religious discrimination.<br /><br />I'm not going to get too upset until this <i>isn't</i> laughed out of court. In the meantime... this is where all those fucking conscience clauses for pharmacists inevitably lead. For fuck's sake. I think what pisses me off is the moral cowardice of people who are simultaneously claiming to be great moral martyrs. If something is really that big a deal to you, you should be <i>willing</i> to lose your job over it. The real heroes get arrested, get beaten by cops, get death threats, because they're willing to stand up for what's right and damn the consequences. It reminds me of something a college professor once said, about the difference between civil disobedience and criminal behavior - if your goal is to change the system, you take the consequences and use them to further your cause. If your plan is to get away with it, you're just breaking the law for your own advantage. There are people who will proudly resign rather than do a job that they think is unethical. This guy is just a jerk.<br /><br />(Comments on the article are not as rage-inducing as I would have feared. There are plenty of people pointing out that a) PP offers lots of non-abortion-related services and b) you don't get to not do your job and then complain that you got fired.)urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:878072burgundyyay austin!2010-04-10T17:42:58Z2010-04-10T17:42:58ZI'd like to take a moment to brag on my City Council. As of Thursday, we are the second US city (after Baltimore) to require crisis pregnancy centers to post notices at their entrances if they do not offer or refer women to abortion or contraception.<br /><br />The anti-choicers are of course up in arms and talking about unconstitutional infringements on free speech, but I don't see how this is any more unconstitutional than requiring food manufacturers to print ingredients and nutrition information.<br /><br />Notices must be at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches large, with at least 48-pt font, in both English and Spanish. They must say, "This center does not provide abortions or refer to abortion providers. This center does not provide or refer to providers of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control drugs and medical devices."<br /><br />The measure passed unanimously.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:877209gelishan@hotmail.comGe LishanSilly, quick question.2010-03-02T18:50:55Z2010-03-02T18:50:55ZDo you guys know of any kind of engine to search for jobs specifically in the reproductive healthcare / reproductive justice fields?<br /><br />Thank you.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:871645superlily74Resources for abortion counselors?2009-07-19T01:02:53Z2009-07-19T01:05:14ZHi everyone,<br /><br />I was recently hired as a counselor at an abortion clinic, and am super excited about it. It's been a great experience so far - I love being in the clinic setting, where my co-workers are all awesome pro-choice feminists, and finally seeing what is arguably the most important piece in the abortion debate - which, despite being a passionate pro-choice advocate for many years, I had always been far removed from before.<br /><br />So I was wondering if anyone knows of any blogs, online communities or forums, or other sorts of resources for abortion counselors? I'm really interested in reading about other counselors' experiences and stories, which I imagine will help me to be better prepared, and was wondering if any type of resource like that for clinic counselors exists. Anyone know of anything? I searched LJ comms, Google Blog, and Google generally, but couldn't come up with anything like that. Luckily, there seem to be a number of places for women to share their stories of <i>having</i> abortions, which I am definitely also reading to learn more about that side of the clinic experience, but I am interested in finding resources and communities specifically for counselors too.<br /><br />If there are any abortion counselors in this community I'd love to hear any stories you'd like to share, as well. :) Thanks everyone!urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:871211eyelid@livejournal.comelectric misfit love machineI Am Dr. Tiller - honoring abortion providers2009-06-05T22:35:24Z2009-06-05T22:35:24Z<a href="http://iamdrtiller.com/">I am Dr. Tiller</a> <br /><br /><blockquote>This website was created as both a memorial to the lifework of Dr. George Tiller and as a living testimony to the courageous lives of abortion providers.</blockquote><br /><br />The site contains photos of people who help provide abortions, and their testimonials. I cried like crazy reading this site. In a good way.<br /><br />If you help provide abortions, please consider adding your story to the site.<br /><br />X-posted.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:871057eyelid@livejournal.comelectric misfit love machineprotecting our doctors2009-06-04T21:11:00Z2009-06-04T21:11:00ZI'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to do something to protect our physicians in wake of Dr. Tiller's death.<br /><br />What do you guys think about the possibility of a statute that bans public (e.g. at gatherings, or on the media) villification of specific abortion providers (i.e. by name)? I know there would be a first amendment challenge, but we have the whole "wanted poster" website precedent to work with...urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:870874eyelid@livejournal.comelectric misfit love machinepoem2009-06-03T21:12:45Z2009-06-03T21:12:45ZWhen a woman faced stoning <br />for the sin of sex<br />Jesus stepped up and spoke<br />and stopped the sentence.<br />he placed his body<br />between the vulnerable and the vicious.<br />two thousand years later<br />new crowds gather<br />and write letters <br />and wave signs<br />and denounce<br />and threaten<br />and stalk, shoot, bomb, poison<br />to wound women<br />for the sin of sex.<br />in Jesus's absence <br />Dr. Tiller placed his body<br />between the vulnerable and the vicious.<br />Between his patients seeking help<br />and the dark crowds outside<br />the stalkers and the shooters<br />the sign-wavers and the letter-writers.<br />Jesus saved one woman from the mob.<br />Dr. Tiller saved thousands.<br />Dr. Tiller was killed<br />while worshipping Jesus<br />in the name of Jesus.<br />Had he not followed Jesus<br />he would not have been killed.<br />In this sad strange world<br />where they kill even gods <br />for the capital crime<br />of working for women, <br />they have made another martyr<br />who will not be forgotten.<br /><br />x-posted to my journal and <span class="ljuser i-ljuser i-ljuser-type-C " lj:user="abortioninfo" ><a href="http://abortioninfo.livejournal.com/profile" target="_self" class="i-ljuser-profile" ><img class="i-ljuser-userhead" src="http://l-stat.livejournal.net/img/community.gif?v=556?v=124.6" /></a><a href="http://abortioninfo.livejournal.com/" class="i-ljuser-username" target="_self" ><b>abortioninfo</b></a></span>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:870633KellyPro-Choice Summer Reads2009-06-02T07:12:36Z2009-06-02T07:12:36ZHello all!&nbsp; I just joined the group and am glad to have found a community like this!&nbsp; I'm a college student, so I have a little more time in the summer between classes to catch up on reading.&nbsp; Does anyone have any suggestions for good reads about pro-choice issues?<br /><br />I'm currently reading The Handmaid's Tale and I'm dying to read The Means of Reproduction by Michelle Goldberg.&nbsp;urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:870222Wrin ChikayaSuspect rrested in connection with slaying of abortion provider George Tiller2009-05-31T20:40:33Z2009-05-31T20:40:33Z<a href="http://www.kansas.com/news/breaking/story/833730.html">From the article:</a><br /><br /><quote>A suspect in this morning's fatal shooting of George Tiller is in custody in Johnson County.<br /><br />Authorities have yet to release more information about the arrest in Gardner. Wichita police have scheduled a 4 p.m. news conference to discuss the case.<br /><br />Tiller, 67, was shot just after 10 a.m. in the lobby of Reformation Lutheran Church at 7601 E. 13th, where he was a member of the congregation.<br /><br />Tiller was serving as an usher at the church, one of six ushers listed in the church bulletin. He was handing out bulletins to people going into the sanctuary minutes before being shot.<br /><br />A church member who did not want to be identified said the gunman threatened another person at the church after the shooting.<br /><br />Tiller's family issued a statement through Wichita attorneys Dan Monnat and Lee Thompson.<br /><br />"Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients.<br /><br />"This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace."<br /><br />Police had said they were looking for white male who was driving a 1990s powder blue Ford Taurus with Kansas license plate 225 BAB. The vehicle is registered to an owner in Merriam, which is in the Kansas City area.<br /><br />Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred said that several law enforcement agencies -- including the FBI and the KBI -- have been called in to help with the case.<br /><br />Allred said that no one else was injured in the shooting. He would not say how many shots were fired. He said it's unclear whether the shooter exchanged any words with the victim.<br /><br />Allred said the 10 a.m. church service had already begun at the time of the shooting.<br /><br />Homicide detectives and Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston arrived at the church after the shooting.<br /><br />Members of the congregation who were inside the sanctuary at the time of the shooting were kept inside by police, and those arriving were ushered into the parking lot immediately after the shooting.<br /><br />Witnesses later were transported downtown for interviews and other members of the congregation were slowly released from inside the sanctuary.<br /><br />By 12:30 p.m., what appeared to be a body was taken away in an SUV with a patrol car behind it.<br /><br />At about 12:40, a police dog was taken to check out a black SUV. An investigator wrote down the tag number on the vehicle.<br /><br />Tiller has long been a focal point of protest by abortion opponents because his clinic, Women's Health Care Services at 5107 E. Kellogg, is one of the few in the country where late-term abortions are performed.<br /><br />"It's a terrible loss. I'm just really sad about the whole thing," said a former employee of the clinic who asked not to be identified. "He was a great guy. I understand people were against a lot of what he did, but for those who he helped, they'll never forget the kind of person he was."<br /><br />Mark Mitchell, who lives near where the shooting occurred, said he knew Tiller attended Reformation Lutheran Church because of the periodic protests there and media coverage.<br /><br />He said the protests would sometimes be as large as two dozen people. The last protest he can remember there was in the fall.<br /><br />"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said in a statement on its Web site. "Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller's family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ."<br /><br />Protesters blockaded Tiller's clinic during Operation Rescue's "Summer of Mercy" protests during the summer of 1991, and Tiller was shot by Rachelle Shannon at his clinic in 1993. Tiller was wounded in both arms, and Shannon remains in prison for the shooting.<br /><br />The clinic was bombed in June 1986, and was severely vandalized earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, his lawyer said wires to security cameras and outdoor lights were cut and that the vandals also cut through the roof and plugged the buildings' downspouts. Rain poured through the roof and caused thousands of dollars of damage in the clinic. Tiller reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the incident.<br /><br />No arrests were made in the 1986 bombing.<br /><br />Sgt. Bart Brunscheen of the Wichita Police Department said earlier today that there has been no activity today at Tiller's clinic, although security crews were being brought in to make sure the building was secure. Officials also were going to check the clinic's security cameras to see if there was any activity over night.<br /><br />Tiller and his clinic have faced continuous threats and lawsuits. A Wichita jury ruled in March that he was not guilty of illegal abortion on 19 criminal charges he faced for allegedly violating a state law requiring an "independent" second physician's concurring opinion before performing later term abortions. Immediately following the ruling in this criminal case, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts made public a similar complaint against Tiller that was originally filed in December 2008.<br /><br />Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, who conducted an investigation into Tiller, said in a statement he was "stunned by this lawless and violent act which must be condemned and should be met with the full force of law. We join in lifting prayer that God's grace and presence rest with Dr. Tiller's family and friends.</quote><br /><br />Website includes photos, video, etc.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:870058another revolutionaryfeminist_rage?2009-03-15T17:27:13Z2009-03-15T17:27:13ZDid anyone else belong to feminist_rage and have any idea what happened to the comm? It suddenly like...disappeared?<br /><br />Off topic, I know, but this is the only comm I belong to where I think someone might now. i'll delete this if needed.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:869667SuziGag Rule Overturned!2009-01-23T23:28:01Z2009-01-23T23:28:01ZIf you haven't heard yet, President Obama has overturned the Global Gag Rule!<br /><br />What PP's Action Center has to say about it:&nbsp;<br /><br /><em><font face="Arial, Verdana, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">&quot;By overturning the global gag rule, President Obama has taken a tremendous first step toward promoting women's health around the world. Overseas health care providers will now be able to offer counseling, referrals, and services for the full range of reproductive health services to women without fear that the U.S. government will strip them of their funding.&quot;</font></em><br /><br />Want to send him a thank you note?&nbsp; Do it <a href="http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/thankobama_af?rk=y7wKay91IeyQE" rel="nofollow">here</a>. <br /><br /><br />Let's hope Obama keeps this momentum in reinforcing our rights! <br />urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:869534queerunityBolivia to Vote on New Consitution With Abortion Rights, and Protections for Sexual Minorities2009-01-22T19:29:26Z2009-01-22T19:29:26Z<a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/queerunity/pic/000054x3/" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/queerunity/pic/000054x3/s320x240" width="320" height="240" border="0" /></a>Bolivia will hold a nationwide referendum this Sunday for its constituents to decide whether to approve or reject a new version of the country's constitution that would provide for abortion rights, religious liberties, and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens.<br /><br />Take action to urge the President and Vice-President to vocally support the referendum publicly.<br /><a href="http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2009/01/bolivia-to-vote-on-new-constitution.html" rel="nofollow">http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2009/01/bolivia-to-vote-on-new-constitution.html</a>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:869306remember to breatheBlog for Choice, Anyone?2009-01-22T15:43:47Z2009-01-22T15:43:47ZToday is the 36th Anniversary of ROE v WADE!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogforchoice.com/" rel="nofollow">Blog for Choice Day</a><br /><br />This years topic:<br /><br /><b>What is your top pro-choice hope for President Obama and/or the new Congress</b>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:869015JenEnd the Global Gag Rule!2009-01-05T15:19:32Z2009-01-05T15:19:32Z<div style="text-align:center;width:211px"></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border="0" width="0" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzExNjg5MTM2NzQmcHQ9MTIzMTE2ODk*MzY2MSZwPTQzMjMwMyZkPSZnPTEmdD*mbz1lYTUxNTIyMzRhMzA*ODQ2YTVjNDVmOWRkZWYzMGE*NA==.gif" /><br /><br />I don't know how many of you have heard of change.org, but they're a very interesting website! Right now they are having an election to determine the top 10 ideas to present to President Obama as suggestions for his new administration. Go and support the end of the global gag rule!<br /><br /><a href='http://www.change.org/ideas/view/end_the_global_gag_rule' rel='nofollow'>http://www.change.org/ideas/view/end_the_global_gag_rule</a>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:868737Bob Ross died of lymphoma in 1995.Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund needs immediate assistance2008-12-05T16:54:43Z2008-12-05T16:55:59ZHi everyone,<br /><br />We rarely make appeals for specific cases and specific women who call the EMA Fund for help, but today is a different story. <br /><br />We are currently fundraising for a 12 year old girl who was raped by an adult and became pregnant as a result. Due to her circumstances, she is too far along in her pregnancy to terminate in Massachusetts and needs to travel in order to have her abortion. The total cost is $6500 and her procedure begins on Monday.<br /><br />We hope that you will consider donating now to help us raise enough money for this girl to receive the health care that she needs. <br /><br />You can donate to the EMA Fund via the Network for Good website (<a href='https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=043502604' rel='nofollow'>https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=043502604</a>). If you make a donation online, please note in the designation box that it is for this girl. You can also send a check to the EMA Fund and designate your gift for this purpose. In either case, please also send an e-mail to emama@nnaf.org, so that we know your gift is on its way and we can increase our pledge to help this girl accordingly.<br /><br />Visit our Facebook page:<br /><a href='http://apps.facebook.com/causes/28632' rel='nofollow'>http://apps.facebook.com/causes/28632</a><br /><br />PS - Please feel free to pass this message along to your like-minded friends, family, and colleagues.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:868515honest_whisperPro-choice charities2008-12-04T00:26:54Z2008-12-04T00:26:54ZI am looking for a charity supporting the education and health of women that takes a pro-choice stance. I would dearly love to support 'Women on the Waves' but as I will be fund-raising with quite a varied group, I know it would be way too controversial for some to accept and sadly, more likely to get us thrown out than given donations.<br /><br />Reproductive health does not have to be the main focus of the charity's work but I would like to be confident that I was not supporting an abstinence-only program. So far I have considered <a href="http://uk.camfed.org/" rel="nofollow">uk.camfed.org/</a> but I would like an organisation that was overtly pro-choice (where relevant).<br /><br />Any ideas would be much appreciated.<br /><br />(x-posted to pro_choice)<br />urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:868215RosalindAbortion tourism2008-11-06T19:31:59Z2008-11-06T19:33:01ZAbortion ban, the reality<br /><br /><b>Women come for abortions</b><br /><i>Yuliya Popova</i><br /><br />Abortion tourism is a covert phenomenon between doctors in western Ukraine and pregnant women in eastern Poland.<br /><br />LVIV, Ukraine Apart from Black Sea beaches and the Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine is a destination for unconventional kinds of tourism – political, sex and also abortion. <br /><br /><br />The first two are known by many. Perpetual elections in the country breed herds of demonstrators from the regions who tour political institutions with party flags for some $20 a day.<br /><br />Sex tourism for its part is easy to spot in any restaurant on Kreshchatyk, Kyiv’s main street, where foreign men are usually courting scantily dressed Ukrainian women.<br /><br />Abortion tourism, however, is a covert phenomenon between doctors in western Ukraine and pregnant women in eastern Poland.<br /><br />Fleeing strict laws at home in the predominately Roman Catholic nation, they come to Ukraine to have an abortion. <br /><br />“It’s an entire industry,” said Petro Gusak from the Lviv Institute of Family and Married Life. “There are special tourist buses that take Polish women in reproductive age across the border to see doctors.”<br /><br />A pro-life activist from the Ukrainian Catholic University, he quickly searched “aborcja Lwow,” or “abortion Lviv” in Polish on the Internet to show a host of references on the subject. Together with sightseeing tours, travel agencies advertise so-called “gynecological-induced period” services in Lviv.<br /><br />Poland adopted strict anti-abortion laws in the early ‘90s when the Catholic Church was at the height of its influence.<br /><br />A termination of pregnancy is permitted in only three cases: when the life or health of a mother is at risk, when a growing baby is severely and irreversibly damaged or incurably ill, or when the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act. <br /><br />It has made a big change for Poland.During Communist times, there were up to 200,000 abortions a year. That figure has fallen to 340, states the governmental report for 2006. <br /><br />It has also forced women to cross the border into Ukraine to terminate pregnancies. One of them, in an anonymous online posting, explained: "This is my body and I want an abortion. Sooner or later, abortions will be legal in Poland." She said she had an appointment for an abortion in Lviv. "So, what can you do to me?"<br /><br /> Head of the Federation for Women in Warsaw, Wanda Nowicka, does not believe the official figures mean that fewer Polish women are getting abortions. <br /><br />“They think that if they introduce restrictive legislation, women will have children. But it is not the case,” said Nowicka, slamming government policies. “We expect that the number of underground abortions is in the tens of thousands.” She later said the figure could be as high as 200,000.<br /><br />She said that women with higher incomes travel to European Union countries. Those with little money to spare go to Ukraine and Belarus. Others buy special pills on the web to abort a pregnancy at home.<br /><br />Nowicka, however, cannot produce any documented proof for Ukraine because “it’s all done under the table.” <br /><br />Dr. Iryna Mykychak from the Lviv Regional Health Administration denies any backstreet abortions in her district. “We have not had a single foreign woman seeking this service recently,” she said.<br /><br />Pro-life activist Gusak hit the same brick wall asking Lviv gynecologists if they have Polish clients. “They all said no,” said Gusak. “But I simply don’t believe that they won’t take extra money when they are not even breaking the Ukrainian law (which allows a termination of pregnancy up to 22 weeks).”<br /><br />He said that, traditionally, women look for doctors through the grapevine. A manicurist in the nearest beauty parlor was only too happy to help. “It’s private, it’s safe, they take Polish women,” she said. “I did it myself when I was on the seventh week; it went well.”<br /><br />She confidentially shared a contact number for a gynecologist from the Lviv state clinic.<br /><br />This doctor took a phone call only late in the evening. He was cautious. <br /><br />“I used to do it before, but not now. It’s a criminal act, you understand? Does she speak Ukrainian?” he was hesitating.<br /><br />“Call me again tomorrow; I will try to help.” <br /><br />Nowicka from the Women’s Federation said that women were risking their health seeking anonymous help abroad. <br /><br />Under Polish law, doctors may refuse a woman an abortion for moral reasons. In this case, however, they are obliged to indicate a place where one could be done but there is no guarantee that the doctor there will give an approval. As a result, women are often subjected to successive examinations until the deadline for abortion (12 weeks) expires, and they are required to have a baby.<br /><br />“This is a sign of discrimination. It shows that our society does not treat women as equal humans who can take responsibility for their life,” Nowicka said. <br /><br />The problem gets worse with widespread hypocrisy towards abortion. Nowicka explained that even women who came for help to her center said that they were actually anti-abortion but needed a termination anyway. <br /><br />“Anti-choice propaganda developed an internalized sense of guilt,” she said.<br /><br />Pro-life activists from the Catholic University in Lviv suggested that Ukraine should follow the Polish example to reverse the population’s decline. Due to high mortality, low birth rates, and emigration there are 46 million people in Ukraine today – down from 52 million a decade ago. Gusak said that some 30 million people could have been born if it wasn’t for the liberalization of abortions in the '50s. <br /><br />Imposing the Anti-Abortion Act, Polish officials also expected the population to grow. Instead, the number of newborns has fallen by some 140,000 per year since the introduction of the ban in 1993, the state report shows.<br /><br />Yet despite alarming statistics, the Polish parliament tried to outlaw abortions altogether last year. The vote failed only by a small margin.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Ukrainian doctors do not deny anyone their services, performing at least 200,000 abortions for Ukrainian women and possibly another few thousand for the Polish "tourists." <br /><br /> <br /><a name='cutid1-end'></a><br />Source: Kyiv Post , October 23, 2008<br /><br />source: <a href="http://www.federa.org.pl/" rel="nofollow">Federa</a><br /><br />X-postedurn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:867792Arwen with a lightsabreHelp with facts2008-11-06T09:06:26Z2008-11-06T09:06:26ZHello everyone<br /><br />I am mostly a lurker here at LJ but right now I need some help. I run a pro-choice blog here in Sweden where I together with some friends try to counter the arguments and "facts" put forward by the anti-choice organizations. Anyway, today the biggest anti-choice organization had a post about Obama's stance on abortion and some stuff about partial birth abortion and what a horrible method that is blah, blah, blah. I would like to counter those arguments, but I need some help I am afraid.<br /><br />First of all: if you don't know the answers to my questions yourself does anyone know where I can find facts about partial birth abortion (or dilation and extraction as it is really called, right? This method is never used here in Sweden)?<br /><br />Second: Why is this method used? It is used to protect the health of the woman, because a regular birth or c-section would be too dangerous, right? The antis claim on their blog that this method is used ONLY b/c of the law (something about that if the fetus comes out with its head intact it would be murder).<br /><br />Three: Correct me if I am wrong, but the american associations of health care providers also opposed this law, right?<br /><br />Four: They say that this method of abortion is like a horror movie in real life, that it is grotesque and so on. How can I counter this? I was thinking about pointing out that this method is only used when the woman's health or life is in danger and we can't ban a medical procedure just b/c someone thinks it is grotesque.<br /><br />Any help is appreciated!<br /><br />Sorry for bad grammar etc I was in a hurry when writing this.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:867532‮҉okay, what if they had rollerskatesljforchoice @ 2008-11-05T08:32:002008-11-05T16:32:58Z2008-11-05T16:32:58ZSo how many people had abortion-related propositions on their state ballots and what were the results?<br /><br />It looks like our prop 4 (parental notification for unemancipated minors seeking abortions) didn't pass, which is a relief.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:867222Mlle. Bébé Gottbach, Ph.Dthis is a very good read.2008-10-30T18:33:07Z2008-10-30T18:33:07Z<a href='http://jezebel.com/5071061/a-uterus-costs-50-more-in-mccains-health-insurance-market' rel='nofollow'>http://jezebel.com/5071061/a-uterus-costs-50-more-in-mccains-health-insurance-market</a>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:866915UlyssesOther things voted on in November2008-10-28T16:45:11Z2008-10-28T16:45:11ZI don't know what to say, i know If I get started I am going to rant for days.<br /><br /><a href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082903142.html' rel='nofollow'>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082903142.html</a>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:866639Mlle. Bébé Gottbach, Ph.DGot that?2008-10-24T21:10:31Z2008-10-24T21:10:31Z<a href='http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say-anymore.html' rel='nofollow'>http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say-anymore.html</a><br /><br />The general gist here? Palin asserts that Bill Ayers is a terrorist. But would not make the same assertion that someone who blows up an abortion clinic is a terrorist.urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:866102Mlle. Bébé Gottbach, Ph.DGot that?2008-10-20T18:00:06Z2008-10-20T18:00:57ZA while back I posted something about McCain's history with women, both publicly and privately. The intention wasn't some puerile smear, but to demonstrate that women's issues, basic rights that we currently enjoy, will not be protected under a McCain presidency.<br /><br />McCain has pretty much made it clear, that he isn't on the side of women. Sure, there were the now-famous air quotes used when referring to the health of a woman as being an exception to any sort of abortion ban... and now this:<br /><br /><lj-embed id="16" /><br /><br />To quote Shakesvill: <i>With the election approaching, however, McCain has finally fessed up his reasoning for picking Palin, someone he didn't know whatsoever: It was a cold political calculation designed to counter the "liberal Feminist agenda."</i><br /><br /><a href='http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/shakesville-john-mccain-picked-sarah.html' rel='nofollow'>http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/shakesville-john-mccain-picked-sarah.html</a>urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:ljforchoice:866013the way out is throughWanna talk about palling around with domestic terrorists?2008-10-09T19:10:30Z2008-10-09T19:10:30ZApologies if you've seen this already. I heard about Marylin Shannon for the first time last night on <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27092691#27092691" target="new" rel="nofollow">Countdown with Keith Olbermann</a> (link to the video there) and was pretty appalled. This news definitely needs to get around. It's scary to me how many people, even pro-choice women, still have the notion that McCain isn't all that bad.<br /><br /><a href="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Womans_rights_advocate_McCain_sides_with_1008.html" target="new" rel="nofollow">People For the American Way encouraged McCain to "look in the mirror" after a RAW STORY report revealed McCain's connection with Marylin Shannon, a Republican official in Oregon who was a McCain delegate at this year's GOP convention. The two appeared together at a 1993 fundraiser for an ultra-conservative organization where Shannon praised a woman who was later convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of an abortion clinic doctor.</a>